I need your help with something guys...Question about Bark River

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Okay, so a few people suggested that I should check back in here after I do some testing and let everyone know what I find. I figured since I have a plan now and nothing else to do, why not now. So I went out into the back yard and found a black cherry tree that we cut down last fall. It's been sitting over the firewood pile, proped in another tree seasoning in the sunshine ever since we cut it. It's a very dense tree and definitely no visible decay.

The end I used is about 4 inches in diameter and it still looks fresh. I spent about 45 minutes cross batoning this knife through and cutting off a 6"(ish) length of the end. Splitting that into pieces. Hammering the tip into the big piece and trying to stress the tip bending and pulling. Twisting the knife sideways to break chunks of wood off and basically just the most abuse I could come up with for what I had. I'd usually be mad if I saw someone doing that to my knife.

Results are impressive. No chips. No bends. No damage at all that I can tell. When I came in a few minutes ago it sliced paper effortlessly.

I know that's not a totally conclusive test, but I'm already feeling a bit better about this knife. If it'll go through a few more tests that well when I get the chance, I'll be pretty dang happy with it.lol
 
Shrub said:
Okay, so a few people suggested that I should check back in here after I do some testing and let everyone know what I find. I figured since I have a plan now and nothing else to do, why not now. So I went out into the back yard and found a black cherry tree that we cut down last fall. It's been sitting over the firewood pile, proped in another tree seasoning in the sunshine ever since we cut it. It's a very dense tree and definitely no visible decay.

The end I used is about 4 inches in diameter and it still looks fresh. I spent about 45 minutes cross batoning this knife through and cutting off a 6"(ish) length of the end. Splitting that into pieces. Hammering the tip into the big piece and trying to stress the tip bending and pulling. Twisting the knife sideways to break chunks of wood off and basically just the most abuse I could come up with for what I had. I'd usually be mad if I saw someone doing that to my knife.

Results are impressive. No chips. No bends. No damage at all that I can tell. When I came in a few minutes ago it sliced paper effortlessly.

I know that's not a totally conclusive test, but I'm already feeling a bit better about this knife. If it'll go through a few more tests that well when I get the chance, I'll be pretty dang happy with it.lol
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No pics, so it doesn't count. 😉


In all seriousness, sounds like good results so far. I hope you keep having fun with it.
 
thebrain said:
Mike Stewart of bark River is a polarizing figure in the knife world. He definitely has made contributions to the knife world but when he posts a video on YouTube saying chopping a fast food chopstick is abuse he lost me, on top of that there has been well documented steel mix-ups from them. It's a shame really, I'm from Michigan and have had the occasion to be near the factory and never bothered to stop in because I have no interest in dealing with a crook/kook.
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You go into the factory reception area, dude comes tromping out of the back, all disheveled with his bathrobe slightly ajar, and starts talkscreaming about how the door with its broken handle is actually your problem.
 
Alberta Ed said:
I've had several knives from Mike Stewart's shops, including three Marbles in 52100 (two Campcraft and a Fieldcraft), and a Woodland in A2 from his Bark River shop, which he started a few years later. No complaints. I checked out a Bark River in 3V one of the guys at my favorite brick & mortar knife shop in Calgary was packing, and he had nothing but praise. When I reviewed the Woodland on BladeFoirums quite a few years back I asked Mike about his heat treatment of A2 and got a comprehensive answer. Despite all the nay-saying about Mike Stewart, I consider him one of the top knife makers of the last quarter century. If you have any problems with your knives, contact Mike. Otherwise just use the hell out of them.
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I’m sorry, this is just patently false.

Op, maybe head over to Facebook and witness for yourself how Mike Stewart responds to people who have issues with his knives. It’s not helpful, to say the least.

One of the top makers? Politely, I could not disagree more.
 
I had 7 and sold them all. Designs were good though. The only thing I hate more than uneven grinds is drama. Life is too short and there are way too many good knives to be bothered with such things. If you like the knife, use it and enjoy it. If it bugs you, sell it and move on. Some good suggestions have been mentioned as alternatives. Once you get something as good as a Carothers or Volunteer, etc, you might not enjoy the BR as much. We live in amazing times. No reason to have knives with so many issues. One of the reasons I like some of my knives so much is the maker. I like supporting good people.
 
S Shrub if you bought the knives to be users, then take them out & use them. Enjoy. If you have a problem with them down the road, cross that bridge when you get to it. I have a Bravo 1 in A2 that I bought about 10 years ago, and although it hasn't seen a whole lot of use, it's exactly what I wanted, and it's been fine. Even so, if I'd have known more about Stewart when I bought it, I probably would've looked somewhere else.
 
Ironbut said:
S Shrub if you bought the knives to be users, then take them out & use them. Enjoy. If you have a problem with them down the road, cross that bridge when you get to it. I have a Bravo 1 in A2 that I bought about 10 years ago, and although it hasn't seen a whole lot of use, it's exactly what I wanted, and it's been fine. Even so, if I'd have known more about Stewart when I bought it, I probably would've looked somewhere else.
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This is the answer. It's really about the knife not the man. You can't really do anything to reverse the purchase at this point. So use the knives and see what you think of them. You wanted 3V based on certain expectations. See if the knives live up to your expectations.
 
Quiet said:
You go into the factory reception area, dude comes tromping out of the back, all disheveled with his bathrobe slightly ajar, and starts talkscreaming about how the door with its broken handle is actually your problem.
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If I was Mike I would come out with my robe on backwards to greet all the haters and I’d even leave my favorite black Micarta Barkie behind just for the challenge 😆
 
Late to the party, but in before it's closed...

All I can comment is, I remember being drawn the BRK designs, as they had plenty enough to choose from, in many steel and handle material choices, the options were almost endless it seemed, and quite a few designs caught my attention.

But, I'm a big proponent of reading multiple reviews about anything before buying, especially things that will cost upwards of hundreds or more dollars, I want to know I'm getting my money's worth in what I'm paying for, and I read enough bad reviews of BRK that I could not in good conscience spend my hard earned money with them. The old saying about "word of mouth advertising" right? In any case, just like the Ford, Chevy, Dodge debate, w/ fanboys and haters of each, some bases on real personal experiences, others just along for the ride and following "a" crowd, w/ thousands of satisfied owners, and plenty enough naysayers of each. I've personally owned a Ram 1500, F150, and Silverado at one point or another (currently in a GMC Canyon after wrecking an f150), and can speak good and bad on each, but I personally completely lost interest in BRK completely with so many other options available in a super saturated market... I did however just last week, finally order my first ever Busse AFBM in infi, straight from the source, (something I myself have wanted for years)... So a grain of salt opinion from the peanut gallery for sure... Everybody has one.

You already own 'em, keep on using 'em, and form your own grain of salt opinion on 'em, w/ all bs aside. Since you got 'em, let us know what you think now, rather than asking what we think?
 
I have about ten Barkies, no issues, love them all. Three (Kalahari, Kephart, ULB) handle all cutting tasks in the kitchen, they go dull, I strop them with white compound, and they are GTG.
I also have other ones for outdoors (Aurora 2, Tundra, Bravo 1 LT, Tundra Camp) and EDC (PSK, another ULB, Tundra mini, Gunny Hunter), no issues other than the Tundra Camp's (in A2) factory edge was chewed up by some old, hard bamboo. I harvested (and delimbed) a lot, almost too much to carry and it finished the job no problem, but the edge was just too acute for the job. When i looked into it, i found that bamboo can accumulate quartz and even throw sparks as you cut it. Anyway, i managed to clean it up with a DMT plate in under ten minutes, and did a retest by cutting some more bamboo and the edge stayed stable.

A long time ago I also had a Bravo 1 in D2, slashed into a rock with it by accident. Back then i didn't had diamond plates and the damage was much worse, so it took much longer to fix it, but i did it eventually..

I am thinking about adding one of the mountain mans to the collection. Love the ULBs.

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